Safety razor



Nov. 12, 1935. J. E. McwlLLlAMs SAFETY RAZOR original Filed May 4, 1955lR O T N E V m JOSEPH E. MCWILLIAMS' BY HIS ATTORNEYSI l relativepositions of the parts when Patented Nov. 12, 1935 I Joseph McWilliams,Newr York. N.

to Gillette Safety Razor Company,

Y., assigner Boston,

., a corporation of Delaware Application May 4, 1933, serial No. 669.415Renewed August 7, 1935 "iClaima Thisinvention relates to safety ramrsand more particularly to safety razors of the type in which a thiniiexible or wafer blade is used and it is an object of this invention toprovide an improved razor of the type described in which the blade issecurely held in shaving .position by wedging means positioned to engagethe blade by the usual operation of securing the cap inV place. It isalso an object of this invention to provide a blade designed tocooperate with the razor so as to be securely held' in place byadjustable wedging means in the razor.

' In the drawing- Fig. 1 is a view of' a razor constructed inacfcordance with this invention, looking at the cap end thereof;

Fig. 2 is a'plan view of the blade guard with a blade in place thereonbut not engaged by the Wedges:

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the blade partly broken away,the cap stem' in section and the wedges adjusted to engage the blade;

Fig. 4 is a partial central section taken as on the line 4-4 of Fig. land showing the relative positions of the parts when assembled but withthe wedges not adjusted to secure the blade lili position;

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4 showing the the wedges are adjustedto engage the blade;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the blade guard shown detached from the razor;

Fig. '7 is a transverse section oi' the blade guard taken as on lineIllof Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a plan view o f the razor cap with a blade in positionthereon, the blade being partly broken away in order to show the capmore clearly;

Fig. 9 is a view in elevation of the assembled razor; I

Fig. 10 is a perspective view oi one of the wedging means shown detachedfrom the blade guard; and

Fig. 11 is a plan view of a razor blade designed to cooperate with therazor shown in Figs. l to 10.

As shown in the drawing a razorv constructed in accordance with thisinvention comprises a cap I having a short centrally located threadedstem 2, a handle 4 having a threaded opening for receiving the stem 2 ofthe cap, and a blade guard 6 held between the cap I and the handle 2 andhaving a central opening 8 to receive the stem i 2 of the cap. Extendingin opposite directions from the central opening 8 of the guard 6 areshort slots I Il in which are movably mounted (Cl. 30'72)` l i wedgeblocks I2 having curved faces at the openranged so as to hold the wedgesI2V at-theouter 1o ends of the slots I0. that is, to draw the wedgesaway from the central #opening 8. The wedge blocks I2 have triangularshaped portions 22 which project above the surface of the guard 6 uponwhichthe blade rests and taper towards the l5 central opening 8. At theopposite face of the guard 6, adjacent the central opening 8, the wedgeblocks I2 are provided with extensions 2| r which, with the inner facesof the wedge blocks,

form portions of a sleeve surrounding the central opening 8. Theextensions 24 are provided with. facesv26 4shaped as portions of a 'conetapering in a direction away from the guard 6 and cooperating with acorrespondingly tapering face 28 surrounding the opening in the handle 4for receiv- 25 ing the stem 2 of the cap I.

The blade tllused in this razor comprises the usual cutting edges Silaseparated by the central slot and joined by the' hinge portions iltbatlthe ends, the hinge portions projecting beyond` the 30 cutting edgesand forming .therewith the recesses in which the usual lugs tit on thecap i are received. The central slot in the blade is formed withsubstantially triangular portions which provide oppositely directedwedge engaging portions Sile having the inclned wedge engaging faces lldpositioned to be engaged by the corresponding faces 22d of thetriangular portions 2i ci' the wedge blocks I2.

To assemble the razor for use the blade Sii is placed on the guard 6with the triangular openings in the blade fitting about the triangularportions 22 of the wedgeblocks i2 in the guard, the cap I is placed onthe guard with the lugs 32 of y the-cap engaging in the corner recess ofthe blade and the stern 2 of the cap extending through the centralopening 8 of the guard and the central opening of the blade. The cap IIis provided with recesses Ia into which the wedge blocks I2 extend.'I'he handle 4 is screwed upon the stem 2 50 drawing the cap I intoengagement with the blade 30 and causing the cam face 28 of the handleto engage with the cam faces 26 of the wedgey blocks and move the wedgeblocks toward the center of the guard. vMovement of the Wedge 2 blocksI2 in tlieguard shifts the wedge blocks from the position shown'inFigure 2 where the blade 30 is loosely mounted upon the guard 6 to theposition shown in Figure 3 in which the triangular portions 22 of thewedge blocks I2 engage with the faces 30d of the blade 30 and hold theblade 30 rigid in the proper position for use. The engaging of the wedgeblocks I2 with `the blade 30 causes resistance to the inward movement ofthe handle 4 and insures the handle 4 drawing the cap I rmiy intoengagement with the blade 30. Engagement of the center portion of theblade 30 by the wedge blocks I2 reinforces the blade, stiffening thecutting edges thereof and reducing the tendency of the blade edges tovibrate.

Unscrewing the handle 4 from the stem 2 releases the cap I and permitsthe springs I8 to return the wedge blocks I2 -to free the blade 30.

What is claimed is:-

1. In asafety razor, a blade guard, a blade having tapered openingstherein, a cap, means to secure said cap to said guard and a pluralityof tapered wedge blocks engaging in said openings in said blade andoperated by said cap securing means into wedging engagement with saidblade.

2. In a safety razor, a blade guard, a blade having an opening therein,a cap, a stem on said cap, wedging means mounted for reciprocation insaid guard and iitting in said opening in said blade and a handleengaging said stem to secure said cap to said guard, said handleengaging said wedging means to force said wedging means into 'engagementwithI said blade.

3. In a safety razor, a blade guard having oppositely disposed wedgingmeans' movablsr mounted thereon, a blade on said guard having openingsto receive said wedging means, a cap having a threaded stem projectingthrough said blade guard and blade and a handle threaded vto receive thestem of said cap and having a eam face engaging said wedging means andforcing said wedging means into engagementwith said blade when threadedon said stem.

4. In a safety razor, a blade guard, a flexible blade having openingstherethrough .inwardly spaced from the ends thereof, wedging meansmovably mounted in said guard and engageable 10 in said openings to `xsaid blade in position for use and a handle engaging said wedging meansand operable to force said wedging means into engagement with saidblade.

v5. In a safety razor, a blade guard, a blade having aV centrallongitudinal extending slot, wedging means fitting tapered portions ofsaid slot, a cap having a stem projecting through openings in said guardand blade and means engaging said stem to draw said cap towards saidblade, said means voperating said wedging means longitudinally of saidguard and bladeto engage said blade.

6. In a safety razor, a blade guard, a blade, a cap having a. threadedstem, wedge blocks and a handle having a threaded opening to engage saidstem and a cam surrounding said opening and engaging said wedge blocksto engage said blocks and cap with the blade.-

7. In a safety razor, a blade guard, a cap, a flexible blade, havingopenings therethrough, relatively movable wedge blocks mounted in saidguard and projecting through said openings and means for simultaneouslymoving said blocks towards each other in said openings to engage saidblade and engaging said blade between said cap and guard.

JOSEPH E. MCWILLIAMS.

